Ending "Taxation Without Representation"

September 13, 2007, 6:18 am

If your car has D.C. license plates, you know about “Taxation Without Representation.” More than the current slogan on those plates, the phrase that’s as old as the Boston Tea Party (1773) is a shameful fact of life for citizens of the city that is the capital of the Free World. The historic disenfranchisement of citizens of the District of Columbia — who have no voting representatives in Congress — has been a blight on democracy in this nation for more than two centuries.

Congress now has the best opportunity ever in the nation’s history to correct this civil rights scandal. A bill giving D.C. modest voting representation (one vote) in the House of Representatives passed the House in April, and is now before the Senate where 60 members must agree even to consider the bill; 51 must vote in favor of the legislation itself in order to enact the law.

Washington Post Columnist Marc Fisher has a great piece in today’s paper with reasons why the Senate should act quickly and affirmatively. Many other commentators have addressed these issues over the years as well.

Now is the time for this nation to lay to rest the Last Colony status of its capital city.